Kitsune and Me
by Elly Phantomhive
Summary: Iruka's life is falling apart at the seams, his wife left him and what he really needs is a break. An escape from everything. Iruka tries to visit the Mikage shrine but gets more than he bargained for when he finds it abandoned by all except a kitsune boy. NaruIru eventual yaoi. M for safety.
1. Chapter 1

**Told you something new was coming ;D I've always loved this pairing as well as KakaNaru and KibaIru. It's been ages since I've written anything but GrimmIchi so it's time for a little change. :3 Though having said that three updates are on the way so keep an eye out! Having said all that I hope you enjoy this chapter, I'm really excited about this story! :D**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything just this idea**

Iruka wandered through the forest completely and totally lost, he was looking for the Mikage shrine. It was a little known shrine tucked away in the depths of the Konoha forest. Rumour had it that it was a beautiful shrine visited by all the villagers, and the god who lived there was kind and listened to their prayers, doing what he could to make the people feel reassured and at peace.

Iruka had been wandering for hours and now it was nearly dark and little light was filtering through the tops of the trees, Iruka was a hairs breath away from giving up but the only problem with that was that he didn't know the way back home either so his only choice was to carry on walking, the crunching of brittle twigs and dry leaves his only company.

Iruka was beginning to give up hope, his life was falling apart and now he couldn't even find a shrine in a forest! What kind of man was he? Anko was right, he was useless no wonder she'd left, he didn't blame her. He probably would have done the same if he were her.

The young man sat down on the nearest flat surface and stared off into the distance briefly wondering how he was going to get home. Or if he would have to wait until somebody found him. Iruka had no idea how long he spent sat there contemplating about how shit his life was and generally moping around, before he decided to get up and start walking once again (mainly because his ass was numb. )

The gods must have decided to smile on him though because in the next clearing the brunette found the stairs that lead up to the shrine. Elation built in the young man's chest as he started up the staircase to the shrine. Iruka's smile got wider and wider as he got closer to the top, only to have it freeze on his face once he reached the top. The shrine was in ruins, the paint work was peeling, weeds grew across the courtyard and rubbish littered the area. Iruka's heart sank, surely this was a mistake! Pictures he'd seen of the shrine were completely different people everywhere making offerings and praying to the enshrined god... What had happened here?

Iruka walked wearily to the building in front of him, surely someone was still here that could answer his questions? The sliding doors were stiff to the touch and Iruka had difficulty sliding them open but with a little extra effort he managed to wrench them open and step inside. The air inside the shrine was stale and humid.

"Hello?" Iruka called out in the hopes that someone still lived here but got no answer. Only a slight shuffling noise at the back of the room came to greet him.

"Hello, is anybody there?"

The shuffling noise got closer and closer and as Iruka reflexively took a step back and into the light stepped a boy about sixteen with blonde hair. He was wearing a red kimono with a loosely tied obi. The boy rubbed his eyes sleepily as he moved closer Iruka noticed fox ears on top of his head and a fox tail swish sleepily behind him as he moved. What the hell? When did people have those?! Was he some kind of demon? Was Iruka about to die? Iruka's frightened questioning stopped when the boy yawned cutely and continued towards the brunette.

"...Sasuke...?"

Sasuke? Who was that?

The boy tiptoed when he reached Iruka and pressed his lips against the frightened man, only to pull away a few seconds later his sky blue eyes focussing on the other man.

"You're not Sasuke. Who are you and what are you doing here?"

Iruka was lost for words.

The boy frowned but made no attempt to widen the gap between them, instead preferring to search Iruka's eyes with his own as if that would tell the boy all of the older man's secrets. After a minute or so he spoke again.

"Who are you and what are you doing here in Sasuke's shrine?"

Sasuke again. Was Sasuke this shrines god?

"I-Iruka... My names Iruka... I came to visit this shrine to make an offering to the god of marriage... In the hopes of fixing my own..."

**Well what did you think? Please leave me a review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**This one's a short one...**

Iruka wasn't going to lie, he was scared this boy was clearly not human the ears and tail proved that but as he looked down at the boy who still clutched at him his fear unexpectedly melted away. The fox boy seemed to be deep in thought, so Iruka was surprised when the boy suddenly let go of him and march down the hallway. The brunette didn't really know what to do so he just... Stood... until two little kids ran up to him and grabbed his hands pulling him down the same hallway.

"Come, come with us!" The children spoke in unison which was kinda creepy in Iruka's opinion. Reluctantly he let them pull him to what he hoped wasn't his death.

The kids couldn't be more than eight, they only came up to Iruka's hips. They both wore white kimonos with a red leaf pattern it reminded Iruka of the autumn leaves falling from the trees, they were both bare foot but despite the state of the shrine, their feet were immaculately clean from what he could see. But what made these children creepy to Iruka were the white animal masks that they both wore, the child holding his left hand wore a bird mask complete with a protruding beak and the child holding his right hand wore a mask of a wolf massive white ears topped his head and a large snout at the front. Iruka would just think of them both as boys until he knew any better, somehow that made things easier to deal with.

"Naruto-dono we brought him like you asked!" the wolf child announced.

"Sit, sit Stranger-san!" the bird child exclaimed.

The two children pulled Iruka over to a fragile looking chair and pushed him down, the young man's body tensed as he expected the chair to give up under his weight. To his great relief the chair held.

Before a sigh of relief could escape his lips a steaming cup was thrust into his personal space by the blonde fox boy.

"Here. It's tea."

Reluctantly Iruka took the cup and took a sip, it was a little bitter but not completely bad.

"I have decided you can stay."

"B-but-!" Iruka tried to protest but found himself being ignored.

"Konohamaru, Moegi go and prepare a room for... Stranger-san"

The two children ran away giggling before Iruka could even tell them his name wasn't "Stranger-san"

"So. I have decided that you can live here, Stranger-san-"

"Iruka."

The fox boy looked confused for a moment. "Excuse me?"

"My name is Iruka. Umino Iruka, not Stranger-san"

The fox boy smiled. "I-ru-ka... Iruka. I like it! I'm Naruto!"

The pair's introduction was interrupted by the two giggling children running back into what Iruka assumed was the kitchen, it was hard to tell.

"I'm Konohamaru!" the wolf boy squeaked as he pulled on Iruka's left sleeve.

"And I'm Moegi!" the bird child chimed. Now that he really had a look he could see that only Konohamaru was a boy and Moegi was intact a girl. None of their facial features could be see through the masks they wore but Moegi had long light brown hair whilst Konohamaru's was shorter and Moegi's build was slight.

"Umm hello my name is Iruka..." the brunette was beginning to feel rather awkward.

"We know, we know!" they sang in unison. "

For a reason completely unknown to Iruka he had decided to stay with the three children at their temple. Perhaps it was pity because of the state they were living in, perhaps he was lonely, he had no family to console him, perhaps it was something else entirely he just didn't know.

Packing up his apartment took less time than he thought it would, Anko had taken everything of value that they had bought since being together so there was only a box of stuff worth keeping and a rucksack of clothes. That was it. All he had left and it was pitiful. But this was a new start and taking a deep breath he locked his door for the last time before handing his keys to the superintendent how smiled politely and bid him farewell.

"Iruka-dono, Iruka-dono! Over here!"

Iruka turned to the source of the voices he had come to know very well, unable to stop the smile that spread across his face at what he saw. Moegi, Konohamaru and Naruto were in the back of a large carriage with the two younger waving enthusiastically at him. As he approached Naruto held out his hand.

"Welcome to your new life... Iruka-san"

**Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Well here we are! Ch. 3 already **** quite excited with where this is going and what's gunna happen! So stick around!**

Three days. That's how long Iruka had been living at the Mikage shrine before the first visitor showed up. Iruka was cleaning (again) whilst Konohamaru and Moegi danced around him singing what they liked to call 'The Cleaning Song' which was supposed to spur him on and give him energy apparently but all it was successfully doing was annoying him. The shrine was mostly clean now Iruka had started in the courtyard and then moved inside, Moegi and Konohamaru had mostly been of no help whatsoever ever but occasionally he could get them to lend a hand in the cleaning. As for Naruto, Iruka had seen neither hide nor hair of him since the cleaning had begun and just assumed the fox boy was sleeping somewhere.

Iruka was trying his best to concentrate on scrubbing the floor when he heard thundering footsteps down the hallway. Running.

"A visitor! We have a visitor!" Naruto yelled grabbing Iruka's hand. "Drop that we have more important things to do! Konohamaru! Moegi! Prepare tea the good stuff Hinata-hime is coming!"

The two children paused in their songs before skipping off to the kitchen to do as they were told.

Naruto on the other hand bolted full pelt in the opposite direction having seemingly forgotten that he was holding on to Iruka still.

Moments later Iruka was shoved into his room. "I'll be back! Wait here! Don't move!"

Iruka was too stunned to move who was Hinata-hime? Was she that scary?

Put these on!" the material was thrust into his hands and Naruto disappeared as suddenly as he had arrived.

Iruka looked confused at the pile in his hands before unfolding them and finding out they were a kimono. It was white and red and absolutely beautiful in the brunette's eyes. Quickly and carefully Iruka dressed in the clothes he was given but a little thought niggled at him, just in the back of his mind quietly knawing away at his confidence. Not that he had much to begin with. But this thought was persistent, whose kimono was it? Was it Sasuke's? Who was this mysterious Sasuke?!

His thoughts were hushed by a loud voice one he was very glad to hear. "Hey! Iruka-san! Are you ready yet?!"

The blonde didn't wait for a reply but grabbed Iruka's hand and set off full pelt again.

"Hinata-hime is here and she wants to meet you! Hinata-hime is the princess of the lake which resides in the south end of the forest" Naruto seemed to speak with ease as he ran round the shrine. "She comes from a very rich family that have looooots of influence, she has a very protective big brother, Neji, he doesn't like me for some reason... But luckily he's not here. Tea is brewing, be polite and keep her happy."

Without so much as a warning he was shoved through a doorway into a room Iruka couldn't remember seeing before.

"You must be the new resident of the Mikage shrine"

Iruka was almost afraid to look at her, but Hinata-hime's voice was soft and gentle. Melodic like gentle rain on the surface of a lake, Iruka could almost hear the smile in her voice so slowly he looked at her and was lost for words. Hinata-hime was beautiful she had long dark hair which she wore loose, big pale violet eyes and a heart shaped mouth she wore a traditional kimono of blue, red and gold, which bore a pattern of the sea. Her posture was perfect and her beautiful eyes were smiling a smile which her lips reflected, it was small but it was kind and understanding.

Iruka almost didn't realise he had been asked a question.

"Y-yes my name is Iruka and I've lived here permanently for three days now."

"I see, it's lovely to finally meet you since I've heard so much about you. Won't you sit down while I pour you some tea? Then perhaps you can tell me more about yourself."

"O-oh no let me pour, you're the guest it would be rude of me..." Iruka stumbled over his words as he sat reaching for the teapot. He must look like such an idiot...

As gracefully as he could manage Iruka poured the princess and himself tea.

The meeting went smoothly and Hinata-hime politely questioned him about his old life. Iruka was happy to talk to her until...

"Iruka-san, if it's okay with you I would have you do me a favour... Please leave this place... Naruto never got over Sasuke abandoning him, it broke his heart and yet he could not leave for the hope that Sasuke-kun would someday return..."

Iruka was frozen to the spot a single memory playing in his mind of the day he came to the shrine. Of Naruto as he pressed their lips together then mistakenly calling him Sasuke...

"Who is Sasuke?" the question was out of his mouth before he could stop it.

Hinata-hime looked sad as she replied. "He was the god of this shrine and... Naruto's lover..."

Iruka felt like he had been punched in the stomach. He couldn't form thoughts in his head let alone speak.

"I can't see him go through that pain again... I love him too much..."

A single tear rolled down her beautiful face.

Without warning Naruto burst into the room and pulled Iruka to his feet.

"That's enough of that, thanks for stooping by Hinata-hime. Come again soon" and before Iruka could say another word Naruto yanked him from the room leaving a stunned princess in the care of Konohamaru and Moegi.

When the two were a safe distance away Naruto finally spoke it felt like it had been an age since they'd left the princess, like he had been living in super slow mo for the last little while. Naruto's voice shattered that illusion and time began to move normally once again.

"What Hinata-hime said... Back there... Ignore it... It's not relevant anymore, Sasuke moved on and forced me to do the same." Iruka studied the kitsune's face closely as he spoke but the blonde just looked ahead, refusing to look at Iruka as they walked to goodness knows where.

"I just want to forget it now the past is the past for a reason and Sasuke is now and forever a part of my past"

There was no expression on Naruto's face, but there was no denying the sad look of longing in his eyes and Iruka could come to only one conclusion: Naruto was lying...

**So a little peek into Naruto's past! Was Hinata out of order for asking Iruka to leave? Or was she just being protective over the man she loves hoping he'll finally look at her? And what will happen next? Please review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Next instalment of Kitsune and me! Hope you enjoy it! : )**

It had been two days. Two days since Hinata-hime had visited and Iruka had seen neither hide nor hair of Naruto, and to be perfectly honest he was worried, he hadn't seen much of Konohamaru or Moegi either. In Naruto's absence Iruka had managed to finish the cleaning and some light repairs and the place was looking almost good as new. The brunette decided that now was the time to start looking for Naruto and the best place to start was his bedroom... Although come to think of it... Where was Naruto's bedroom? Iruka supposed there was no helping it and began opening all the doors in the main corridor determined not to stop until he found it.

"What are you doing Iruka-san?"

Iruka froze; his hand on the frame of the sliding door to a room he was unfamiliar with.

"I wouldn't go in there if I were you~" two sing song voices carried on. "Naruto-dono won't be happy if you disturb him~"

So, at last he had found Naruto's room, making a mental note of the location, the older man turned to face the children.

"I was looking for the two best hiders in the whooole shrine!"

The children bounced up and down on the spot. "That's us! That's us!" they chimed.

Iruka held out his hands for them to hold. "I have a really special job for you, and then we can play hide and seek before dinner"

"OKAY!" Moegi cried.

"What's the job...?" Konohamaru sounded suspicious like the brunette was about to ask him to clean or something else terrible like that.

"I'd like you to tell me a story, in the garden."

"What kind of story?" unison again. That was having less of an effect on him now though it did still creep him out slightly.

"The story of Naruto and Sasuke." Iruka replied as the made their way out to the garden and sat on the grass side by side and looking down on the town far below.

"Okay~" Konohamaru took a deep breath while Moegi played with her fingers. "Many years ago, a child was born he had hair and eyes as black as ink, his parents named him Sasuke. Sasuke was a kind and gentle child who loved nature, but one day when Sasuke was 8, tragedy struck while he was out playing by the lake. Bandits and thieves ransacked his village, murdering, raping and stealing all that they could. Sasuke's father protected his mother until his last breath but to no avail... When Sasuke arrived home he was saved from the horror within by a kind elderly neighbour who had survived the attack. Sasuke was heartbroken, he loved his parents dearly and now he'd never see them again... Two years later Sasuke left his village to live at the shrine and become a priest. Sasuke excelled in every task and was noticed by the god who resided there. The god had decided that this child would carry on in his place after he died, and when the god was on his deathbed he passed on his "god mark" to Sasuke by a kiss to the forehead."

Iruka sat patiently and listened closely to the story. It almost made him smile how grown up Konohamaru sounded whilst recalling the shrines history.

"Phew~ I don't like that part it makes my eyes leak" Moegi said, pulling Iruka from his thoughts

"My turn! Years later, a harmless half demon called Naruto was attacked and left for dead near the shrine. Sasuke, who loved people, hanyou and youkai alike..."

"But only the good ones!" Konohamaru interrupted.

"Yes, only the good ones!... Sasuke took in Naruto and looked after him until he was well again. When he was better Sasuke asked Naruto to become the shrines familiar. Which Naruto accepted without delay because Naruto had already given his heart to Sasuke and in time Sasuke gave his heart to Naruto. "

Iruka felt rotten in the pit of his stomach. He was jealous! Not that he would ever admit it... But he was.

"Iruka-san! That's not the end yet!" Moegi poked him.

"The pair lived very happily for over a hundred years" Konohamaru continued. "Until one day Sasuke disappeared. No word of where he went or why Sasuke was gone without a trace. Naruto was heartbroken. He searched high and low for a sign of Sasuke but nothing. Weary and exhausted Naruto came back to the shrine and sat in the room you found him in and didn't move for the 20yrs it took for you to come along..."

Iruka's head was swimming, there were so many thoughts and questions in there that he didn't know which to voice first. Unfortunately he would never get the chance...

"Konohamaru! Moegi!" the three turned to see an angry looking Naruto behind them. "Why are you telling him such nonsense?! Go and sweep the yard! And you!" Naruto turned to face Iruka, his expression softening slightly. "Don't listen to them. They don't know what they're talking about."

And without another word Naruto walked away, leaving a very sad Iruka alone in the garden.

**So now we know what happened between Sasuke and Naruto! Their pasts revealed, please review and tell me what you thought!**


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